ALCATRAZ OBSERVATIONS: 1.03 Kit Nelson

We explore the Rock for clues, reveals and connections from Alcatraz 1.03 — “Kit Nelson”.

Kit Nelson

Meet Kit Nelson, he killed three kids in 1958 and also murdered his 11-year old brother because Mother favored him more.

His calling card: a white chrysanthemum. Ernest Cobb’s calling card was to shoot down crows before he killed his victims. Will most of the prisoners have calling cards?

Sylvane had a mission to achieve in retrieving the key, and (possibly) Cobb in shooting Lucy, but they’ve all had personal/family stuff to avenge/perpetuate as well. Perhaps Nelson also performed some kind of ‘mission’ that we didn’t see?

All three also spent time in confinement back in Alcatraz. Details like this might eventually give us a pattern to lock on to. Is there a specific order to which prisoners are returning?

Justice

Looks like Dylan was into Justice Society Of America comics (Vol. 3, #41). One of the villains in the book is an Alcatraz guard.

Into The Mix

Doc Soto, who we know likes to document things, uses recent events as ‘inspiration’ for his comics. His illustrations could provide a potentially interesting gateway into his mind as the series evolves.

Soto was kidnapped when he was 11 — which events in this episode reflect. But could the kidnapper have actual ties to the show’s mythology?

Returnees

Dr. Beauregard joins Lucy Banerjee on our list of returnees. Both medical professionals who worked at Alcatraz in the 60s and both now working with Hauser in the present day — neither have aged.

Well, that’s not strictly true, it’s apparent that Beauregard appears slightly greyer in the present day. Perhaps this aging process happened in the three years before Alcatraz “officially closed,” but perhaps it’s a clue pointing to something else?

One of our burning questions from last week now expands: Does Hauser know about Lucy and Dr. B’s deep ties to Alcatraz? It seemed in Episode 2 that he didn’t know about Lucy’s connection (since he asked Sylvane whether she was a target).

We also know that the doctor had two children, 8 and 7, in 1960. Perhaps we’ll see them in the current timeline at some point? Seems like the families and extended families of the Alcatrazies is a way to expand the story and deepen the connections going forward.

Another question that comes to mind is whether Lucy is the only woman who underwent the experiments/returned un-aged? Should we read anything into the fact that there’s no mention of any women disappearing in the promos, just 302 men?

To date, we’ve seen 6 of the 302 prisoners/staff who disappeared from Alcatraz in 1963:

Jack Sylvane AZ2024

Tommy Madsen AZ2002

Ernest Cobb AZ2047

Kit Nelson AZ2046

Lucy Banerjee

Dr. Beauregard

As we know, Emerson Hauser visited the Rock as a wide-eyed guard on the night of the disappearance.

Tommy’s Mad, Son

As we saw in Sylvane’s flashback, Rebecca’s grandfather Tommy Madsen is quite the infirmary talker. While getting three bottles of blood extracted from his body, he warns Nelson not to mess with Dr. B, or he’ll end up on “this side of the screen.”

This further suggests Tommy was one of the first Alcatraz prisoners to undergo the blood experiments that presumably ties into the mystery of the non-aged returnees.

Ultimately, Tommy’s warning seems a bit redundant since all of the prisoners, to our current knowledge, underwent experimentation.

Blood is extracted from the prisoners..can we assume it is pumped back in once a certain process has taken place? Are we looking at a Torchwood: Miracle Day type mythology? I say that half joking, but perhaps it’s not so wacky.

Tommy hints at something intriguing when he tells Nelson the other prisoners beat him because of “what you are.”

He’s a child-killer, so we get that, but could meta themes of fate and choice be woven into the show? Especially when considering the lengths both Warden James and Deputy Warden Tiller went to in their psychological and physical torment of the prisoners (Sylvane and Cobb included). Was this just rough treatment, or were they ‘testing’ them for some reason?

Numbers

THEM!

Nelson forces the kid to see an old movie from his era — it appears to be the 1954 sci-fi Them!

While the movie informs Nelson, could it have larger story hints? Not that I expect giant ants to storm San Fransisco, but perhaps certain themes will bear fruit?

Lord Of The Ring

What is that ring Hauser’s wearing? A secret society membership? I’m sure there’s a story behind it.

He gently touches Lucy’s sweater, further informing their relationship. We continue to speculate whether that relationship started back in the 60s prior to the ‘vanishing,’ or in modern times after her return? The latter seems more likely at this point.

Four Strikes

Following the compelling ‘four matches’ jig, Warden James tells Nelson to “make them last” — and he sure did. But why did him bring them to present day with him?

The scene with Nelson looking at the matches, thinking back to when he received them, reinforces the question of time. For the returning prisoners, the 1960s might well have been a few days or weeks ago — whether they’ve been ‘on ice’ the whole time, or some kind of time-travel is involved.

Glass Hausers

Hauser’s little look to Sylvane and Cobb with Nelson’s body is slung over his shoulder, before taking Nelson’s corpse to Dr. Beauregard, seemed very pointed. Just to let them know that Hauser doesn’t play around.

I wonder if the two inmates had a sense of who it was in the bag? Probably not, but I’m sure Dr. Beauregard. will let them know in due course.

Dr. B

Beauregard has yet to make the digital leap. Is that record player from the 60s? If so, a keepsake from Alcatraz, pointing to him being ‘prepared’ for whatever was about to happen.

He appears to be wearing a ring. As mentioned earlier, we know that he had kids.

Em A Need Some Help

Hauser tells Beauregard:

“I may need your help with something, depending on how things turn. It’s for a friend of mine.”

I’m guessing that friend is Lucy, and I’m further guessing Dr. B. might be able to ‘help’ her (with consequences?) if things turn bad. Just an extended guess.

OTHER NOTES

I’d be interested to know how long Nelson has been back? Did he arrive by the same mechanism or process as Sylvane, Cobb and Tommy? Did he have the same sense of displacement upon arriving?

Nelson’s father told him: “I thank God for Alcatraz.” The show brings God into this. It seems like a standard line, but it might be worth keeping an eye on any spiritual references going forward in case it informs the characters/mythology/themes.

Hauser shooting Nelson was a bit of a surprise seeing as he’s collecting a dolls house of prisoners back at 2.0. It seems he doesn’t need them alive, although who knows what freaky science Dr. B is cooking up?

Hauser makes reference to needing the “adult Soto, not the eleven year old,” which I thought was pretty interesting given that were dealing with two time-frames in the show.

Soto’s ‘super power’ speech at the end, along with his own trauma suffered when he was 11, helps to inform his fascination with comics. Interesting that he sees himself as a bit of a superhero. Does that make the returning prisoners super-villains in his mind?

It’s believed that the Warden left Alcatraz before it closed (along with EB Tiller), but could he turn out to be a 63?

I’m a bit worried about Rebecca at this stage. Why isn’t she more concerned/intrigued by the fact that Grandpa Tommy is one of the 63s and killed her partner? I can understand Lucy’s acceptance of the fantastical, at this stage, because she’s a 63 herself. But Becs seems too detached from her own connection to the mythology.

About Roco

Comments

The name plates on the cages in the white, “present-day” cell block seem to have some sort of a QR code attached. I’m just waiting to get a head-on shot of the cell so i can find out where they link to…

Love your observations. It’s early to get real theories going , but a lot of fun hints at things to come so far!

One note, according to Jo at InsideAlcatraz ( http://insidealcatraz.blogspot.com/ ) Hauser was NOT a guard:
“By the way, young Emerson Hauser was a police officer, and not a prison guard (thank you to executive producers/writers Bryan Wynbrandt & Steven Lilien for clarifying that with me at the premiere!); he was on Alcatraz to assist with a prisoner transfer. ”

The Stars were an element that caught my attention right from the beginning of the episode. I addition to the prominently featured stars on the matchbox: There were stars all over the wall behind the head of Dylan’s bed, he also had a star projector on his self. Another pair of featured stars were on the side of the garbage dumpster behind the cafe where Hurl…eh Soto and Madsen tracked down Kit Nelson.

For my two cents (not that you asked), I share your opinion on how Rebbecca Madsen is taking her new found knowledge of her grandfather. Personally, it is down right distracting. Not that I need her to mention it every 2 seconds. However, I’d certainly expect the one time she brings it up that it would not be to repudiate her connection to the man and the mission.

Could you be confusing Lucy Banerjee (modern day) with Dr. Sungupta (1960)? I’m thinking that Lucy is the daughter of Hauser and Sungupta, but then why the different last name? Maybe the budding romance fizzled eventually, but Hauser is still sentimental about Sungupta (see episode 5) and her daughter.